Lead Compliance Officer

About the Role Truss Payments is seeking a Lead Compliance Officer to build and lead our compliance program from the ground up. This is a foundational, in-office hire based at our San Francisco headquarters, five days a week. You will be the architect of our entire compliance infrastructure — designing policies, establishing controls, managing regulatory relationships, and ensuring we meet the rigorous standards required of a financial institution. We need a senior leader who has done this before at early-stage fintech companies and understands what it takes to stand up a compliance program that scales with rapid growth. Key Responsibilities Build the compliance program from scratch, including BSA/AML, KYC/CIP, OFAC sanctions screening, fraud prevention, and consumer protection frameworks Design and implement compliance policies, procedures, and internal controls tailored to neobank and payment platform operations Serve as the primary point of contact with banking partners, regulators, and examiners, managing all regulatory examinations and audits Develop and oversee the transaction monitoring program, including SAR/CTR filing, alert tuning, and escalation procedures Build and manage the compliance team as the company scales, including hiring, training, and mentoring compliance staff Conduct and oversee enterprise-wide risk assessments, including money laundering, terrorist financing, and sanctions risk Establish vendor due diligence and third-party risk management processes for fintech partnerships and banking relationships Create and deliver compliance training programs across the organization Monitor regulatory developments (federal, state, and international) and proactively adapt the compliance program to evolving requirements Work closely with product, engineering, and operations teams to embed compliance controls into product design and customer onboarding flows Prepare and present compliance reporting to the board of directors and senior leadership Requirements 5–10+ years of compliance experience in financial services, with a strong focus on fintech, neobanks, or digital banking startups Proven track record of building compliance programs from scratch at early-stage or growth-stage fintech companies Deep expertise in BSA/AML, KYC/CIP, OFAC, state money transmitter licensing, and consumer lending regulations Direct experience working with bank sponsors/partner banks and navigating the BaaS (Banking-as-a-Service) regulatory landscape Experience managing regulatory examinations, consent orders, or MRAs with federal and state regulators (OCC, FDIC, FinCEN, state DFIs) Strong understanding of payment systems (ACH, wire, card networks) and the compliance obligations specific to each rail Experience selecting and implementing compliance technology (transaction monitoring, case management, identity verification platforms) CAMS, CRCM, or equivalent professional certification strongly preferred Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex regulatory requirements for non-compliance audiences Ability to work on-site at our San Francisco office five days per week Nice to Have Experience with AI/ML-powered compliance tools and regtech platforms — you’ve used technology to scale compliance operations, not just manual processes You’ve stood up a compliance program at a brand-new fintech from day one — not inherited an existing program, but actually built one from scratch Hands-on experience in client-facing roles such as bank teller or branch operations — you’ve had tough conversations with customers, reviewed fraud cases firsthand, and know what it’s like to investigate and report suspicious activity at the ground level What We Offer Competitive salary and equity compensation reflecting the seniority and impact of the role Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance On-site work at our San Francisco headquarters with a collaborative team environment Opportunity to be a foundational leader shaping the compliance culture of a growing payments company Direct access to executive leadership and board-level visibility